Release of the Beast (Episode)
Release of the Beast (獣の解放, Kemono no Kaihō) is the fourteenth episode of Mobile Suit Stardust Gundam. Summary The episode begins with a narration: the funeral of John Ars Arias is being held today in the middle of the Arian Homeland. The people gather to watch, both in person or watching it on television. However, on Earth, the EUS-0098 Grissomm is heading for Welgaia during the distraction, but something is waiting for them. Sigro sits in his room, fiddling with the spare parts he's been building when Anima visits to give him his food. He seemingly ignores her while he just keeps working, bothering her as she leaves. On the bridge, Doralus is told there's a problem with the engine, as he wonders what the hell the engineers were doing while they stopped for repairs. The operators say that it should be fixed in a little while, which makes him announce that he's taking a break for now. He goes out while Mirai notices the amount of breaks he's been taking has been increasing for a few weeks now. Jason wonders if it's all the stress of keeping this ship up and running at all times coming onto him. Meanwhile, unknown to the crew below, an ABS-EF1002 Lance-class flies overhead, along with numerous ABS-1002 Minor-class. Dagan Ragea, the captain of the Lance, remarks at how oblivious they are of their surroundings, finding it rather too funny that they'd fly out in the open. His officer Arene Four comments that if they were to strike now, they'd be caught offguard, but Dagan chooses to wait it out. He tells her that he wants to know how long it'll take for them to notice them. Meanwhile, in the Arian Homeland, the funeral is being set up, with the entire remaining Royal Family present. Kari asks Brez where Darius, who was there when John died, is at the moment. He says that he's on temporary leave in his space forces. Those words please her as she calls one of her officers and whispers something into his ear. Back on Earth, Doralus sits in his room, slightly sleeping until he's hailed from the bridge. He's told that they've spotted an enemy ship overhead, which forces him to race to the bridge. He arrives and orders for the ship to enter combat status, and for the MC2MS-13579 Stardust Gundam to launch out, along with their modified AMS-1001 Aryan. Takumi goes to get Sigro in his room, as he sits in his bed with a blank stare on his face. Takumi slaps him around a bit in order to get his attention, as he tells him that they have to launch. Takumi leaves for the launch bay, dragging Sigro in a pilot suit with him. When he gets there, he shoves Sigro in the Stardust's cockpit, while he runs for the EU Aryan. Sigro hails the bridges and brings up his troubles to the crew, but Doralus forces the Stardust to launch out into the battlefield. He gets whiplash from the unexpected launch as he somehow lands on his feet, but he's immediately hit by a small missile. It knocks him down as he looks up to what launched it: the AMS-1003 Naxos, with Dagan in the pilot seat. He expresses his curiosity at how such a clumsy mobile suit could annihilate and terrify most of the Arian forces. Next to him are his two wing-men, piloting a pair of Aryan units. Sigro is outnumbered, while Takumi in the EU Aryan tries to provide cover fire, but is ignored. Sigro tries to attack with the beam saber, but Dagan manages to dodge every slash and pierce while chipping away at the Stardust's armor. Sigro gets the upper hand at one point, but is easily beaten down after misjudging the Naxos' capabilities. Dagan, looking at the fallen mobile suit as it gets up, expresses his disappointment in both the "unstoppable White Demon" and the majority of the Arian Forces. He's about to completely destroy the Stardust as the Grissomm fires onto him, forcing him and his men to retreat for now. Stardust is carried back into the Grissomm as Sigro sits, curled up into a ball after the beating he received. Later, in the Arian Homeland, the funeral for John starts as Von Zeg Arias tries to raise the people's moral with a speech. He has the speech broadcasted all over the Earth Sphere, as the Grissomm watch from the bridge. Doralus calls it gibberish while he orders for the ship to continue its trip. Meanwhile, in the Arian Homeland, Darius sits in a bar watching the broadcast when an officer comes over. He's there under Kari Arias' orders to recruit him into her new army. He accepts while he continuing watching, laying his eyes upon Von. Back on Earth, Sigro throws around the machinery he's been building against the wall in frustration. He still can't understand he was beaten so easily. He calms down eventually, resting against the wall while he takes out something to write on and write with. He starts to try and recall every aspect of the new mobile suit, while he neglects the smashed up surroundings. Meanwhile, on the Launch Bay, the engineers complain that Sigro came back with the Stardust smashed up, but while trying to fix it, the right arm guard start to come loose. Trivia